Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

 

Sermon for Oculi, Lent 3, March 8, 2026

The God of love and peace will be with you.  Amen.

Daniel 6:10-24  ¹⁰Now, when Daniel learned that the document had been signed, he went to his house.  It had windows on its upper story that opened toward Jerusalem.  Three times each day he would get on his knees and pray and offer praise before his God.  He continued to do that, just as he had been doing before this.  ¹¹Then these men came as a group and found Daniel praying and seeking favor from his God.  ¹²They then went and asked the king about the decree.  “Your Majesty, did you not sign a decree that anyone who prays to any god or person for thirty days except to you, Your Majesty, would be thrown into the den of lions?”  The king answered, “Indeed I did.  The order is established as a law of the Medes and the Persians that cannot be revoked.”  ¹³Then they responded to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, does not pay attention to you, Your Majesty, or to the decree that you signed.  Instead, three times each day he is praying his prayers.”  ¹⁴When the king heard this report, he was very upset about it, but he was determined to save Daniel.  So until sunset he worked hard to rescue him.  ¹⁵Then these men came as a group to the king and kept saying to the king, “You know, Your Majesty, that it is the law of the Medes and the Persians that every decree or statute that the king establishes cannot be changed.”  ¹⁶Then the king gave the order, and Daniel was brought and thrown into the lions’ den.  The king said to Daniel, “May your God, whom you serve continually, rescue you.”  ¹⁷A stone was brought and placed over the mouth of the pit.  The king sealed it with his signet ring and the signet rings of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel’s situation.  ¹⁸Then the king went to his palace.  He spent the night without food, and no entertainment was brought before him.  But he could not sleep.  ¹⁹At dawn the king arose as soon as it was light and hurried to the lions’ den.  ²⁰As he came near the pit, he cried out in a fearful voice.  The king said to Daniel, “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God, whom you serve continually, able to rescue you from the lions?”  ²¹Then Daniel spoke with the king.  “Your Majesty, may you live forever!  ²²My God sent his angel and shut the mouth of the lions.  They have not hurt me because he found me innocent in his presence.  Also before you, Your Majesty, I have committed no crime.”  ²³Then the king was very glad and said that Daniel should be brought up from the pit.  So Daniel was brought up from the pit, and he was unharmed because he trusted in his God.  ²⁴The king gave the order, and those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.  They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones. (EHV)

Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            Sometimes rulers pass laws with good intentions but not foreseeing unintended consequences, they end up with bad results.  Sometimes, rulers simply issue foolish laws out of arrogance, selfish power grabs, or mistaken assumptions.  And then, there are times when a naïve ruler is misled by those with wicked intentions to make a law that is both foolish and harmful.  It appears that all three of these are the case here.

Last Sunday, we continued our journey through the Catechism by beginning to explore the First Article of the Apostle’s Creed which deals with the Father and His creation of the world.  Part of Luther’s explanation reminds us that God protects and cares for us throughout our life here on earth.  That is especially evident in this morning’s text where we learn to Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.

The account of Daniel and the lions’ den is probably one of the most well-known Bible stories, but whether it is always properly understood is another question.  The fact that Daniel was saved does not mean that we should put God to the test and expect to be protected from harm in all ways.  Furthermore, it does not indicate that God allows bad things to happen to people because they are somehow less righteous than Daniel.  Jesus enlightened us when He told the people, “Those eighteen who were killed when the tower in Siloam fell on them—do you think that they were worse sinners than all the people living in Jerusalem?  I tell you, no.  But unless you repent, you will all perish too.” (Luke 13:4-5)  Still, the Lord does promise “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Therefore, we can rightly conclude that God had good purposes in allowing this event to take place.

Perhaps the first thing we should learn is not to put our full confidence in earthly authorities that are often subject to wrong ideas and evil intentions.  It also doesn’t mean we should disobey those put in authority over us.  St. Paul clearly relayed God’s command to obey those above us, yet we also must follow the apostles’ example when they declared, “We must obey God rather than men.” (Acts 5:29)  Therefore, we will obey the governing authorities in ordinary things, but when they demand obedience to laws that are clearly against God’s commands, then we will obey God and suffer whatever consequences may come our way.

On the other hand, we can clearly see our God working behind the scenes here.  First, Daniel somewhat foreshadows our Lord Jesus.  Daniel was faithful to God and the most dedicated, wise, and skillful of all the advisors to the king, which, unfortunately, made him subject to the jealousies of other advisors.  They could find no fault of which to accuse Daniel, so they convinced the king to use his authority to make a law they schemed to use to trap Daniel. 

Now, Daniel was not holy, but he was righteous by faith in the Lord.  Jesus, on the other hand, was and is perfectly holy and faithful to His Father in heaven.  No one could accuse Jesus of any guilt, because He had no sin at all.  Still, out of jealousy and hatred, Jesus’ enemies falsely accused Him of many crimes.  However, in the end, Jesus’ death sentence was carried out because He told the truth, that He is the Son of God who was sent into the world to save sinners.

Thus, it is in Jesus’ death sentence that we are taught to Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.  Because all mankind is infected with sin, we are all subject to the curse of sin which is death.  We are all in danger continually because of the deceiver who brought sin into the world in the first place.  Therefore, the Holy Spirit through St. Peter warns us, “Have sound judgment.  Be alert.  Your adversary, the Devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” (1 Peter 5:8)

In our sermon text, it was the king’s foolish and idolatrous decision that put Daniel in danger of death.  Once the sentence was carried out, the king regretted his decision.  Does it bother you that he couldn’t sleep that night?  Likewise, I might ask, do you ever have trouble sleeping because of something you have done? 

At this point, we could recognize that it was our sin, as well as the sin of the whole world, that caused Jesus to be thrown into battle against the roaring lion.  Isaiah confessed, “Surely he was taking up our weaknesses, and he was carrying our sufferings.  We thought it was because of God that he was stricken, smitten, and afflicted, but it was because of our rebellion that he was pierced.  He was crushed for the guilt our sins deserved.  The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (Isaiah 53:4-5)

When the king ran to the lion’s den that next morning, he really didn’t expect to find Daniel still alive.  Sure, he desperately hoped that the God Daniel worshipped could have done something, but the king wasn’t yet a believer in the true God.  In the same way, the women who came to Jesus’ tomb on Easter morning, and His disciples as well, didn’t really expect to find Jesus alive, even though He had told them several times that He would rise on the third day.

Of course, I am not saying that those women and disciples didn’t believe in Jesus, but they didn’t yet fully understand who Jesus is.  Jesus is indeed the dragonslayer and lion tamer God sent to rescue us from the jaws of certain condemnation at the gates of hell. 

Now, Daniel didn’t die that night because God sent His angel to keep the mouths of those hungry lions shut.  As the Lord promised in Psalm 91, “If you make the Most High your shelter, evil will not overtake you.  Disaster will not come near your tent.  Because he will give a command to his angels concerning you, to guard you in all your ways.” (Psalm 91:9-11)  On the other hand, the Savior Daniel foreshadowed, our Lord Jesus, had to die because of the guilt of those who falsely accused Him, and because of the sins we commit in foolishness, self-promotion, jealousy, and hatred.  At the same time, like Daniel, Jesus didn’t stay in the lion’s pit, for God raised Jesus from the dead on the third day.

After the king found Daniel alive that next morning, and brought him safely out of the pit, he gave a new order, and all “those men who maliciously accused Daniel were brought and thrown into the lions’ den—they, their children, and their wives.  They had not reached the bottom of the pit when the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.”  This is the same warning God has for anyone who rejects Jesus.  About those who serve primarily themselves in this life, Jesus declared, “Then he [The King] will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41)  That eternal pit is what is in store for the devil and all who follow his ways.

Therefore, while many people might question why God would allow that king to be so foolish, or why He would allow those wicked men seemingly to have their way in the world, our Lord wants us to know that there is nothing that escapes His attention, and there is no sin that will go unpunished.  At the same time, God has already punished His own beloved Son for the sins of the world.  Therefore, it is only those who reject the Son who have no part with the Father.  Their eternal destination will remain the depths of hell as long as they continue in their wickedness and unbelief. 

Still, for those who continually turn toward the Son of God in faith there is everlasting rescue from the roaring lion who seeks to destroy us.  The victory has already been won, for Jesus lived holiness for us and died to pay for all our guilt.  Consequently, His resurrection on Easter morning proves that everything the Bible promises is true.  “Because I live, [Jesus says] you also will live.  In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you.  The one who has my commands and holds on to them is the one who loves me.  And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father.” (John 14:19-21)  Just as Jesus replied to the woman in our Gospel lesson who shouted out to Him from the crowds, “Even more blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.” (John 14:18)  For all of us the message remains, Trust God who saves us from the roaring lion.  Amen.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.  Blessed be His glorious name forever.  May the whole earth be filled with His glory.  Amen.

We proclaim the love of God Who created all things.

 

Sermon for Reminiscere, Lent 2, March 1, 2026

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.  Amen.

Acts 17:22-29  ²²Then Paul stood up in front of the council of the Areopagus and said, “Men of Athens, I see that you are very religious in every way.  ²³For as I was walking around and carefully observing your objects of worship, I even found an altar on which had been inscribed, ‘To an unknown god.’  Now what you worship as unknown—this is what I am going to proclaim to you.  ²⁴“The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made with hands.  ²⁵Neither is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and everything they have.  ²⁶From one man, he made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth.  He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live.  ²⁷He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ²⁸‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’  As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his offspring.’  ²⁹“Therefore, since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and planning. (EHV)

We proclaim the love of God Who created all things.

Dear friends in Christ,

            The questions of where we come from and why we are here have perplexed millions in our times, and likely multiple billions of people throughout history.  However, that statement is itself quite perplexing, because God has never kept the truth a secret.  In fact, throughout history, God has made clear how we came into existence, along with the earth and universe as well.  Furthermore, He also gives us purpose.

There is no doubt that Adam and Eve knew that God created everything.  Still, after sin entered the world, it didn’t take long for a portion of mankind to turn away from the truth.  The world’s population became so sadly self-centered and violent that the Lord lamented the condition of mankind.  “The Lord saw that the wickedness of mankind was great on the earth, and that all the thoughts and plans they formed in their hearts were only evil every day.” (Genesis 6:5)  That likely explains why God was forgotten by many.

Still, one man found favor with the Lord, and God assigned Noah to rescue a remnant of all living things when God sent a world-wide flood upon the earth in judgment of the wickedness.  Having lived through that destruction and being an eyewitness to what the world was like before and after God’s anger was stirred, one might assume that Noah’s descendants would be very careful to pass along the knowledge of God from one generation to the next.  Unfortunately, the following generations progressed in about the same way as those destroyed in the flood.

So, what happened?  Did parents fail to teach their children?  Did the children fail to hold on to the truths of God’s promises?  Was temptation too enticing?  We can’t say exactly what happened in each family line, but once people had lost the faith that should have been passed done from generation to generation, there was a void that needed to be filled.  To fill that void, many groups of people developed myths to explain the workings of the world and gods (read idols) with the hope of influencing the events of life by appeasing the assumed angry gods.  Many modern theories of our origination are little different than the pagan myths.  This brief review brings us to the events in our text in a city that treasured numerous idols, so that like Paul, We proclaim the love of God Who created all things.

As Paul walked through Athens, he observed the multitude ways the people tried to influence life.  Through those man-imagined deities, the people hoped to help themselves through their worship.  And, as Paul noted, that desire went so far as to reverence a god they didn’t know.  They feared angering a deity they didn’t know or understand, so they added this altar to their collection as insurance.

It is to these people that Paul reaches out with a truth that had been clearly written since the time of Moses but was available long before that even.  Paul told the debating crowds, “Now what you worship as unknown—this is what I am going to proclaim to you.  The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples made with hands.  Neither is he served by human hands, as if he needed anything, since he himself gives all people life and breath and everything they have.”  You might say that Paul told them, “Forget everything you thought you knew and believe the true history of the world, and of yourselves, and thus know the God who controls all things.

This brings us to our review of the The First Article (creation): I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.  What does this mean?  Martin Luther answered:

I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still preserves them;  that He richly and daily provides me with food and clothing, home and family, property and goods, and all that I need to support this body and life;  that He protects me from all danger, guards and keeps me from all evil;  and all this purely out of fatherly, divine goodness and mercy, without any merit or worthiness in me; for all which I am duty bound to thank and praise, to serve and obey Him.  This is most certainly true.

God has been proclaiming truth since Adam and Eve.  Noah knew it, so did Isaiah and the other prophets, and Jesus confirmed it with His testimonies of faith in the Old Testament writings.  Isaiah pleaded with the way-ward Israelites to return to this God, this Lord of all.  In this short creed which the Christian Church as been professing for two thousand years, we summarize who God is and what He does for us.  As Paul wrote, our God doesn’t need anything from us.  Through the psalmist, our God declared, “I do not need to take a bull from your barn or goats from your pens, because every animal in the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand mountains.  I know every bird in the mountains, and everything that moves in the field is with me.  If I were hungry, I would not tell you, because the world is mine, and all that fills it.” (Psalm 50:9-12)

Thus, the question remains, “What does God really want from us?  If He created us, doesn’t that mean we owe Him something.  The answer is simply, yes.  We owe God everything, far more than we could ever hope to give.  But God doesn’t ask us to satisfy His appetite.  He desires to take care of us, not the other way around.  The truth is God sustains us in this life.  He controls all things for His purpose and plan.  What He wants from us is trust.  Trust that He is taking care of us in every situation.  Trust that no devil can overpower Him, and trust that God hears our prayers and answers them. 

Finally, and most important of all, God wants us to know and trust His Son as our Savior.  That is why Paul preached to the Athenians, and in lots of other places.  It is our duty, likewise, to proclaim the love of God Who created all things.  God doesn’t just provide for us with material blessings, though He does that in tremendous fashion whether we realize it or not.  Yet, of greatest importance to our Creator is that we be reconciled to Him and to live with Him for eternity.  It is through faith in His Son that God carries out His original plan to walk with mankind in harmony and bliss.

Now, as we look around our world, we see constant conflicts, wars, prejudices, and hatred.  But why?  In many cases, it is because people emphasize their differences and differing desires more than the unique truth that God loves the whole world.  Jesus, God’s Son, died for the sins of the whole world.  The Athenians were famous for looking down on other nations, tribes, and languages.  They felt them all beneath those supposed great thinkers.  Sounds more than a little like our times, doesn’t it?  How often are people judged more by their skin color, nationality, or political associations than by actual deeds or abilities?  To all those conflicts, the Holy Spirit reminds us, “From one man, he made every nation of mankind to live over the entire face of the earth.  He determined the appointed times and the boundaries where they would live.”  Recognizing this reality, Paul continued, “He did this so they would seek God and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.  ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’”

We could spend hours debating what this all means, but the truth is Jesus died for all people.  The truth is God puts governments in place to maintain order and protect its citizens from some who might intend harm.  Naturally, in this sin-infested world, these conflicting viewpoints lead to distress, but it isn’t because God desires that, for Paul says, “As some of your own poets have said, ‘Indeed, we are also his offspring.’”  Our God created all people and all things.  He put man in the Garden of Eden to care for it.  He commands us to care for the places and countries He puts us in.  He tells us to love our neighbor as ourselves.  At the same time, the Bible teaches that we are to respect and obey those put in authority, because He puts them in those positions for His good purpose.

Dear friends, I’m afraid I haven’t touched all that much on law and Gospel yet in this sermon.  In many ways it has been a historical review.  However, we all must admit that we have been guilty of not loving and serving our fellow man as we should, whether that be the person next door, the wayfaring stranger, or our own family members.  We all have our weak moments when hatred creeps into our hearts.  For all these things and more, we might readily expect God’s judgment and condemnation.

Yet, God’s answer to our great guilt is exactly what Paul was teaching in that city.  He wrote, “Since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by human skill and planning.”  Paul went on to proclaim and explain how God’s Son came to earth in the form of a real man, Jesus Christ.  He told them of God’s great love for all sinners in putting the punishment that brought us peace on Jesus.  Paul told them of that great resurrection morning when Jesus rose from the dead alive and fully restored after being crucified, dead, buried, and in the tomb until the third day.

Now, many Athenians jeered at the idea of a resurrection from the dead.  Likewise, many in our times do as well.  Yet, God will not be mocked.  When He tells us that Jesus is returning to judge the world and to take home to heaven all those who believe in Him, we can and should believe Him.  When God tells us that we will be raised like Jesus on Judgment Day, we should believe Him.  Why?  Because God foretold so many events about the promised Savior and they were all fulfilled in Jesus, right down to His suffering on the cross for you and me and His resurrection.  Thus, everything Jesus has said, and everything the prophets foretold is confirmed as Jesus rose from the grave alive, and never to die again.  Because the God who created us, provides for us, protects us, and even gave up His Son to death so that we might live, We proclaim the love of God Who created all things.  Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore.  Amen. 

The Seed of the woman has covered our shame.

 

Sermon for Invocavit, February 22, 2026

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

The Seed of the woman has covered our shame.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ,

            Our sermon text this morning is the first fifteen verses of our Old Testament reading from Genesis 3.  I reread just two verses at this time: “The Lord God said to the serpent: Because you have done this, you are cursed more than all the livestock, and more than every wild animal.  You shall crawl on your belly, and you shall eat dust all the days of your life.  I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed.  He will crush your head, and you will crush his heel.“ (Genesis 3:14-15)

            For the past weeks, we have been reviewing the Ten Commandments as included in Luther’s Small Catechism.  This morning, we consider, The Conclusion of the Law.  When Luther wrote his catechism for the instruction of the people in the basic doctrines of Christianity, he used a passage as the conclusion of the law that is actually part of God’s explanation of the First Commandment, of which you are all familiar.  Therefore, what does God say about these commandments?  “I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generation of those who also hate Me, and showing mercy to thousands of those who love Me and keep My commandments.” (Exodus 20:5-6)

Luther then asked, “What does this mean?”  And he answered, “God threatens to punish all who transgress these commandments.  Therefore, we should fear his wrath and do nothing against these commandments. But he promises grace and every blessing to all who keep these commandments.  Therefore we should also love and trust in Him and willingly do according to His commandments.”

We can rightly say that breaking any commandment also breaks the First Commandment.  Truly, to disregard God’s commands in any way is to distrust God.  It is putting our own desires and ideas above what God tells us is good and best for us and for our relationships with other people.

That brings us back to our sermon text, the account of Adam and Eve’s fall into sin in the Garden of Eden.  Our first parents were given one command by which they could honor their Creator: Do not eat from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil.  This was the altar whereby Adam and Eve could worship the Lord God in faithfulness.  No other sacrifice was required.

That was by no means a burdensome command, nor did Adam and Eve have any desire to disregard God’s instruction at that point.  Still, we heard how the Tempter deceived first Eve, but also Adam with her.  Thus, in the devil’s deception, sin entered our world and death came with the sin.  That affliction of sin has carried down through every generation of mankind to this very day and will continue until the last child is born before Christ returns on Judgment Day.

Now, although most people might not be inclined to agree, the Law is a good thing for us.  It shows our sin and need for the Savior, shows the way for us to walk in order to live according to God’s will, and the natural law remaining in the hearts of almost all people does limit sin somewhat in society.  At the same time, we recognize that the law can do nothing to save us, for it always condemns, because we never fully obey it. 

Think about it, this morning we baptized a little girl barely a month old, and many people would consider this little baby girl to be innocent and incapable of sinning.  However, we love babies, so we will not deceive anyone about them.  King David wrote, “Certainly, I was guilty when I was born.  I was sinful when my mother conceived me.” (Psalm 51:5)  I mentioned the natural knowledge of the law, and that does incline us to believe that there is a God and that we sin against Him, but we are born with no knowledge of who God is, or of how we might be reconciled with Him.  Therefore, everyone ever born, little babies no less, must have God intervene on their behalf in order to be saved.

Again, it is time to return to the account in our sermon text.  Not only did God declare the consequences that would befall man and woman because they listened to the Deceiver, but God began His just judgment there by speaking directly to that lying serpent, and in that statement of consequences God said, “I will put hostility between you and the woman, and between your seed and her Seed.  He will crush your head, and you will crush His heel.“  The law by itself could not reconcile us with God, but God didn’t abandon us when our first parents sinned.  Instead, God gave them the first hint of the Gospel.  You see, the Law tells us what we should do to please God, but it always condemns.  The Gospel on the other hand, tells us what God has done and will do to reconcile us with Himself through Jesus.  St. Paul wrote, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

In all honesty, none of us, including Adam and Eve, has any excuse for listening to the devil’s lies.  At the same time, since Adam and Eve fell, none of us has been able to be holy and at peace with God on our own.  We were each born infected with sin and therefore selfish, self-serving, self-centered rebels looking to do things how we want to do them.  If she hasn’t already, little Adalyn will soon be showing these tendencies, just like her brothers, and just like all the rest of us.

Therefore, there really is no substitute for the Savior God planned to send.  The ironic part is that the Holy, innocent Son of God entered our world as the Seed of the woman God promised in the Garden of Eden.  He came precisely to be our Substitute both in living a holy life in obedience of every last dot and tittle of the law, and in taking the death we each had earned for our rebellions against God.

Isaac Newton's Third Law of Motion states that for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.  Likewise, we might say that every action has consequences.  The consequences of sin are many: hurt feelings, broken relationships, certain diseases, wars, poverty, and ultimately death.  Especially, eternal death is the real consequence of sin that God warned Adam about.  Eternal separation from God in hell is what all people deserved because we all sin.

Thanks be to God, that is not a consequence God was willing to impose on His dear children, except for One.  As I already said, Jesus became our Substitute.  Jesus Christ, the Holy One of God, innocent from conception until He breathed His last breath on the cross, had no cause to suffer hell, but He willingly gave His life on the cross and received in our place the torment of being forsaken by the Father which is hell’s torment.  Jesus did that all for you and me.  St. Paul later wrote, “God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them.” (2 Corinthians 5:19)

Dear friends, we come by sin naturally because we inherit a sinful nature from our parents.  Holiness needs to come to us through the gift of God.  On the great day of Pentecost, as Peter preached law to the crowds, and they cried out in their guilt, Peter told them, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  For the promise is for you and for your children and for all who are far away, as many as the Lord our God will call.” (Acts 2:38-39) 

That is why her parents brought Adalyn to be baptized this morning, for they know that no one can believe without the work of the Holy Spirit and no one truly repents of sin, either, without the Holy Spirit first working faith in the heart.  And, contrary to what the natural mind might guess, faith is not a decision we make, but it is the gift of the Holy Spirit that brings forgiveness and salvation to poor sinners like you and me.  Forgiveness and salvation are given to us through faith as St. Paul so eloquently explained, “God, because he is rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in trespasses. … Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith―and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God―not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:4,5,8 & 9)

All of this goes back to God’s promise in the Garden when Adam and Eve first sinned.  God promised a Savior who would destroy Satan’s power over us, a Savior who would be born of a woman, a Savior who would suffer grievously to win our freedom from the curse of sin.  That Savior is Jesus, born of Mary, conceived of the Holy Spirit, who suffered, died, and rose again on the third day so that we might be redeemed from eternal condemnation and then adopted into God’s family through faith and the power of Baptism.  Talk about everlasting Good News, that “God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)  Truly, it is Good News that The Seed of the woman has covered our shame.  Amen.

May our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who loved us and in His grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and establish you in every good work and word.  Amen.

“Oh My Father…”

 

Sermon for Ash Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Mercy and peace to you all, for the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  Amen.

Matthew 26:36-46  ³⁶Then Jesus went with them to a place called Gethsemane.  He told his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.”  ³⁷He took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and he began to be sorrowful and distressed.  ³⁸Then he said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death.  Stay here, and keep watch with me.”  ³⁹He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed.  He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.  Yet not as I will, but as you will.”  ⁴⁰He came to the disciples and found them sleeping.  He said to Peter, “So, were you not able to stay awake with me for one hour?  ⁴¹Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  ⁴²He went away a second time and prayed, “My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me unless I drink it, may your will be done.”  ⁴³Again he returned and found them sleeping, because their eyes were heavy.  ⁴⁴He left them again, went away, and prayed a third time.  He said the same words as before.  ⁴⁵Then he returned to his disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting?  Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  ⁴⁶Rise.  Let us go.  Look, my betrayer is near.” (EHV)

“Oh My Father…”

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Throughout the Scriptures, the Lord God invites, encourages, and commands us to pray, praise, and give thanks.  It is God’s desire that we come to Him in any need and that we recognize His kindness and providence.  While He was still with His disciples, Jesus assured them, “Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.  Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.  Ask, and you will receive, so that your joy may be made complete.” (John 16:23-24)

This evening, we consider the 1^st Petition of the Prayer Jesus taught us to pray, “Our Father, who art in heaven.”  As we observe Jesus praying on the night He was betrayed, it is here we see His humanity especially evident.  At the same time, we see the great strength of faith and the holiness Jesus lived for you and me, so that we can pray just as He did, “Oh My Father…”

I am sure that most of us are familiar with this account of Jesus pleading with His Father in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Three times, Jesus went apart by Himself to pray to His Father.  Through these prayers, we see Jesus’ resolve to save us grow stronger through His conversation with God the Father. 

As Jesus came to Gethsemane, He had the bulk of His disciples sit apart a ways from where He would pray.  He took only Peter, James, and John close to where He would prostrate Himself before His Father.  Jesus first implored the three men to stay nearby and keep watch.  This was most likely as much for their good as His own.  Jesus had no need for their protection, but the mutual encouragement of fellow believers is good for all of us, Jesus no less.  Still, we see in those three our own weaknesses.  Remember, they had just declared undying loyalty to Jesus and that they were willing to bear anything, even death, to stand alongside Jesus.  But, like us, the flesh was weak, and in a few moments, sleep overcame them.  Three times, Jesus stepped away to pray, and each time He returned to find those three men sound asleep.  So much for faithful watchmen.

I don’t know if any of us would consider ourselves stronger in faith and conviction than those three disciples.  Certainly, I fall asleep many nights praying for God’s help and mercy.  Does that make me a sinner?  No, not that.  That makes me human.  That shows that I too am weak and need a Savior.  Yet, our focus this evening is on Jesus.

Jesus came into this world to live righteousness for us and to die to pay the full penalty for all the sins of the world.  As Jesus came to Gethsemane that night, He understood the full terrible agony He would soon suffer on our behalf.  Still, we dare not think Jesus sinned as He said to them, “My soul is very sorrowful, even to the point of death.  Stay here, and keep watch with me.”  He went a little farther, fell on his face, and prayed.  He said, “My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from me.”  Jesus did not ask this out of a lack of faith, or even a weakness in His commitment to save sinners.  Instead, Jesus was showing us the depth of His concern for those people whose punishment He would soon endure. 

Jesus pleaded with the Father for another way to accomplish their mutual goal.  His human nature trembled at the awful anticipation of the whipping, beating, the rods and staffs, the mocking and the thorns, the nails ripping through His hands and feet, and the dehydration from blood loss as His life was ebbing under the curse of sin.  Jesus’ divine nature likewise had no desire to be forsaken by the Father.  Who could anticipate receiving the terrible punishment of hell and welcome that terror?  And still, Jesus showed His love for us as He prayed, “Yet not as I will, but as you will.”

Have you ever prayed to the Lord and wondered if He would give you a positive answer?  Have you ever wondered if God was listening?  Did you ever pray, “If You are able, oh Lord?”  A father once brought his demon-possessed son to Jesus pleading, “But if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us.”  “If you can?!” Jesus said to him. “All things are possible for the one who believes.” (Mark 9:22-23)  At Gethsemane, we see Jesus plead for His Father’s help, and even perhaps for a way to avoid the great pain and spiritual separation.  Yet, Jesus already knew in His heart that there was no other way to save you and me, and though His flesh may have trembled, He was firmly resolved to win freedom from sin, death, and devil for you and me.

Each time Jesus went away to pray to His Father, Jesus grew more and more committed to the task at hand.  Not that there was ever any doubt in His mind, but Jesus wanted all of us to be completely sure of His and the Father’s love and commitment to saving us from hell.

When Jesus returned to Peter, James, and John, and found them sleeping during their watch, He told them, “Watch and pray, so that you do not enter into temptation.  The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”  In many ways, this is our command as well.  As we wait for Jesus’ return on Judgment Day, we need to be ever watching and waiting, ever vigilant, and with full confidence, both in His promises, and that He will indeed hear and answer our prayers.  Whatever we ask in line with the Father’s will shall be given to us.  There is nothing good that the Father will withhold from us.  Therefore, along with the father of that demon-possessed boy, we pray, “I do believe.  Help me with my unbelief!” (Mark 9:24)

At the same time, we confess that not all of our prayers measure up to the purity and trust Jesus displayed as He prayed at Gethsemane.  For those times, though, we can be comforted by the fact that Jesus was praying in our place and on our behalf.  Because Jesus’ prayers were perfectly holy and in line with His Father’s will, our prayers are counted as righteous for Jesus’ sake.

So that you and I may believe and never doubt, “He went away a second time and prayed, ‘My Father, if it is not possible for this cup to pass from me unless I drink it, may your will be done.’”  Facing the most awful and painful execution wicked men could devise and knowing the spiritual rend from His Father that awaited Him, Jesus boldly and confidently submitted to His Father’s will.  There was never any doubt or apprehension in Jesus’ mind.  His love for you made His commitment solid.

From before His conception in Mary, Jesus was firmly and wholly committed to being the Lamb of God who would take away the sin of the world.  That never changed, so no devil, no temptation, and certainly no man could stand in Jesus’ way.  This is the Savior who opened the gates of heaven for us.  This is the Savior whose righteousness has been credited to you and me through faith.  This is the Savior whose blood washes away all our guilt in Baptism.  This is the Savior who gives us His own real body and blood in the bread and wine of His Holy Supper as another testimony that all our sins are forgiven.

The final time Jesus returned to His disciples after His prayers, He said to them, “Look, the hour is near, and the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.  Rise.  Let us go.  Look, my betrayer is near.”  Fully confident in the Father’s answers to His prayers, Jesus turned boldly and resolutely toward the cross.  He knew exactly what lay ahead for Him.  Jesus knew in advance every twinge of pain He would feel and the horrible agony of being forsaken by His Father for the first time ever, but without any doubt or apprehension, Jesus gave Himself up, first to His captors, then to the tormentors, finally to the cross, to the pain, to the death.  All because Jesus and His Father have a never-ending love for you and me, and an unstoppable commitment to save us. 

Through His life and death, Jesus reconciled all of us, who never deserved it, with the God of all creation.  By His sacrifice, all our guilt was put away never to be seen or heard of again.  Today, because of the Baptism Jesus instituted, those of us who believe and have been baptized stand in the good graces of God.  Through Baptism, God made us His own dear children, dearly loved, fully forgiven, holy in His eyes, and always ready to pray to Him through Jesus with full certainty and confidence in our heavenly Father who always answers when we pray, “Oh My Father…”  Amen.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you— according to the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, . . . to God, who alone is wise, be glory forever through Jesus Christ.  Amen.

God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

 

Sermon for Quinquagesima, February 15, 2026

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.  Amen.

Joshua 7:20-26  ²⁰Achan answered Joshua, “It is true.  I am the one who has sinned against the Lord, the God of Israel, and this is what I did: ²¹Among the plunder I saw an expensive Mesopotamian robe, a fine one, and two hundred shekels of silver and one wedge of gold—it weighed fifty shekels.  I coveted them and I took them.  Now they are hidden in the ground inside my tent, and the silver is underneath it.”  ²²So Joshua sent agents.  They ran to the tent, and there it was!  The robe was hidden in his tent, and the silver was underneath it!  ²³They took them from the middle of the tent and brought them to Joshua and to all the people of Israel, where they poured them out before the Lord.  ²⁴Then Joshua took Achan son of Zerah and the silver, the garment, and the wedge of gold, as well as Achan’s sons and his daughters, his ox, his donkey and his flock, and his tent and everything that belonged to him—so all Israel, led by Joshua, brought them up to the Valley of Achor.  ²⁵Joshua said, “Why have you brought disaster on us?  The Lord will bring disaster on you this day!”  Then all Israel stoned Achan to death.  They also burned him and them with fire, and they pelted them with stones.  ²⁶They erected a large heap of stones over Achan, which remains to this day.  Then the Lord turned from the heat of his anger.  For that reason the name of that place is called the Valley of Achor to this day. (EHV)

God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

Dear redeemed of the living God,

            To modern ears, this account might sound unnecessarily harsh or cruel.  All around us, we hear people complain about the harshness of many forms of penalty being carried out on offenders.  Some places even refuse to prosecute unless the crime reaches an established level of seriousness, perhaps a high dollar amount before theft is prosecuted for stealing.  Even more so, the breaking of certain commandments is considered minor in the grand scheme of things.  Adultery is bad if you cheat on your spouse, but we can legally dispose of a marriage partner for any reason, or none at all.  Protesting law enforcement is considered good, but who cares how many young people are shot down in the streets or raped in the shadows?

In God’s kingdom, this is never the case.  To stand in God’s presence in eternity requires perfect holiness and nothing less will do.  In other words, God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

For a little background in the case before us, this account takes place after the fall of Jericho.  That powerful city, with its skilled warriors and impressive defensive walls, was conquered with barely any effort on Israel’s part.  Yet, a short while later, Israel’s forces were routed by a small contingent of fighters from the little city of Ai.  Israel was stunned and embarrassed.  Why would God abandon His people so soon after promising to lead them in triumph over the land?  The truth was exposed as Joshua pleaded with the Lord for an answer.

Before entering the Promised Land, and before they were given victory over Jericho, the Lord God of heaven and earth commanded Israel that “The city and everything in it will be devoted to the Lord.” (Joshua 6:17)  The entire city was to be burned to destruction and the silver, gold, bronze, and iron “are sacred to the Lord.  They must go into the treasury of the Lord.” (Joshua 6:19)  The metals which are not easily destroyed by fire were to be kept as sacred to the Lord for the use of His house.  This was God’s command to the Israelites. 

However, this is also where greed and covetousness entered the picture.  While fully understanding the Lord’s command, a man named Achan was unable to resist his desire for a few precious items.  In the grand scheme of things, it really didn’t seem like that much.  I am sure most people of our world would say “What did it matter?”  Yet, here we see what it means when God says, “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23)  To minds so steeped in the guilty nature, such a tiny flaw seems excusable.  However, to our Holy Almighty God, no sin of any kind is acceptable.

This morning, we review God’s commandments against coveting.  The Ninth Commandment says: You shall not covet your neighbor’s house.  What does this mean?  Our catechism answers, “We should fear and love God, so that we do not craftily seek to gain our neighbor’s inheritance or home, nor get it by a show of right, but help and serve him in keeping it.”  The Tenth Commandment is like unto the Ninth except that it protects our relationships instead of property, for the Lord knows that we need both kinds of blessings to sustain us in this life.

In Achan’s sin of coveting, we see a reflection of the coveting that brought sin into the world.  Most people assume that Adam and Eve’s first sin was eating the fruit of the tree, but their true first sin was an evil desire for something the devil deceitfully promised them.  The serpent told Eve that in the eating of that forbidden fruit, “You will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5)  Then, desiring what God had not promised, Eve ate and Adam ate with her.  Their desire led to further sin.  The same here with Achan.  He desired those bits of riches, and he stole them from the Lord.  The result, in the end, was the same.  Because Adam and Eve coveted what God had not promised, they sinned, and death entered the world.  For all mankind, God’s righteousness requires harsh justice.

The punishment for Achan might shock us.  For that little bit of theft, that small desire to get some riches for his family, he, and perhaps his whole family and livestock, were stoned, and the bodies and all his possessions burned in fire.  Stones were then piled over the ashes as a permanent reminder to the people of Israel of what happens to those who defy God. 

Now, some people might accuse God of overreacting or being harsh or judgmental.  However, such views expose the sinful nature, and don’t understand God’s holiness.  God is holiness defined.  He is righteous in everything He says and does.  His nature allows nothing less.  His authority as Creator of all that is makes God automatically right.  God’s prophets who were given a glimpse into heaven heard the angels declare, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of Armies!  The whole earth is full of his glory!” (Isaiah 6:3)  Therefore, since God is perfectly holy and right, no sin will ever be allowed into His presence.  The account of Achan therefore becomes a warning and a promise for us.  God must punish sin with death if He would uphold His righteousness.

The story of Achan is indeed shocking and sad.  Still, that judgment pales in comparison to the condemnation in hell which is what all sinners have earned with their guilt.  You and I would face certain destruction if God had not intervened on our behalf.  Therefore, the punishment put on Achan is also a foreshadowing of what God would do for us.  By giving His own Son into destruction and death, God kept His righteousness intact while punishing our sin with death.

Achan was led before his judges along with the evidence of his guilt.  Likewise, Jesus was led before His judges bearing, not any fault of His own, but our sins and the sins of the world.  No mercy was granted.  Achan and his family were destroyed.  Likewise, the prophet would speak of Jesus’s death, “Like a lamb he was led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent in front of its shearers, he did not open his mouth.  He was taken away without a fair trial and without justice, and of his generation, who even cared?  So, he was cut off from the land of the living.  He was struck because of the rebellion of my people.” (Isaiah 53:7-8)

This is where we see God’s love for sinners like you and me.  We deserved nothing but divine retribution.  From our births we were steeped in sin, desiring things that didn’t belong to us, and sometimes taking them as well.  No, we most likely haven’t been caught stealing gold or silver from God’s house, but every sin against any commandment breaks them all.  By the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, St. James wrote, “In fact, whoever keeps the whole law but stumbles in one point has become guilty of breaking all of it.” (James 2:10)  Therefore, on our own, we are just like Achan with nowhere to hide from God’s righteous justice.  Yet, that is where the similarity ends, because do not need to stand before God’s righteous anger alone; we are given a hiding place in Jesus so that no judgment will fall on us, and no condemnation awaits those who walk with Him by faith.

In his psalm, King David pleaded with the Lord, “Hide me in the shadow of Your wings, from the wicked who assail me, from my mortal enemies who surround me.” ((Psalm 17:8-9, NIV 1984)  In David’s plea, we are reminded of the defense we have in Jesus.  Jesus took all our guilt, all the sins of the world, and He paid the price of death for each of us, so that the eternal death, that is separation from God in hell, will never touch us. 

In His Revelation to St. John, Jesus declared, “Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.  He who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death.” (Revelation 2:10-11)  Our victory comes through Jesus.  His life and death is our righteousness granted to us by faith.  We are shielded from God’s wrath for sin as the righteousness of Jesus was put over us in Baptism and kept there through faith that is nurtured by the Holy Spirit through the Gospel shared in the Christian Church.

Because Jesus came into this world to live and die on our behalf, the devil can no longer accuse us of any sin.  All our guilt was washed away as the Lord God of Creation adopted us into His family of grace at our baptisms.  That never allows us to sin freely.  Rather, it is Christ covering us and living in us that empowers us to be content with whatever our loving God provides for us. 

Through the faith the Holy Spirit worked in St. Paul, that man suffering in prison could boldly say, “I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, while being full or hungry, while having plenty or not enough … through Christ, who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:12-13)

God grant through the work of His Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament, that He keep us content in whatever circumstances we may find ourselves, so that because Jesus took the required harsh justice, we may be eternally covered in Christ’s perfection to enjoy God’s righteousness forever.  Amen.

God will fully supply your every need, according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.  Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever!  Amen.